The first batch of low-enriched uranium nuclear fuel has been delivered to the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (NPP), according to a release from the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, the builders of the NPP. The Russian-made fuel assemblies are currently being prepared for unloading and inspection.
The double-unit Belarusian NPP, with a total power capacity of 2,400 MW, is equipped with Russian-designed Generation 3+ VVER-1200 reactors, and is the country’s first NPP. It is being built in the Belarusian town of Ostrovets.
“The initial delivery of fresh nuclear fuel is a landmark event in the construction of any nuclear plant and is of particular importance to Belarus, as it marks the first event of its kind in the republic. In fact, this is the moment when the countdown to the physical launch actually starts,” Rosatom’s Vitaliy Polyanin, and director of the Belarusian NPP construction project, said in a statement.
“We, alongside the customer Belarusian NPP operator, Belarus’ Ministry of Emergency Situations, and Belarus’ nuclear watchdog Gosatomnadzor, have done a tremendous amount of work to ensure the necessary conditions for fuel delivery. The state-of-the art reactor design fully complies with international standards and the safety recommendations of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” he added.
